Moving to China

Commencement is a strange word. How can a word mean both the end and the beginning? Silly English language... Despite this conundrum, I find myself sitting in the international terminal at LAX waiting for my flight to China and I can't help but think something is commencing.

It's been a long year that has brought me here but it has managed to fly by in my memories of it. In the last year I was able to experience a new and different city as a member of its daily rat race and I came away with some great memories and good friends. It already feels like it has bee a hundred years since I left and at the same time I feel like I should be headed back there any minute now. It's hard coming to terms with a life upheaval. It is slightly unnerving as well to realize that I am not really sure what adventures, trials, tribulations, and life-changing moments lay ahead of me. The realization that I will be going about this life changing time solo is hard as well but perhaps that is what will make it truly life changing. Perhaps I should find another term for "life changing".

In the 12 days since I left NYC quite a bit has happened. I spent my first 2 days back camping on the Columbia River with Jhanna and Tara. What happens when 3 people who have known each other since they were 14 come in contact with the Devil's water? Nothing good! It was great though...camping, river, waterfalls, chocolate muffin...all of it.

I was also able to spend some good times in Seattle visiting people I needed and wanted to see. The weather there was beautiful for the 5 days I was there. It was the kind of weather that happens in Seattle when its residents begin to seriously plan their exodus if there is another gray day.

Sadly, my time in Medford could have been better spent. While I did get to visit with the family I babysat for when I was 14 and their kids were little, and I did have a great birthday dinner with mom et al...I spent 5 of my 6 days visiting my grandma at the hospital. She had a heart attack...albeit small...and she got a stint put into one of her heart vessels. They thought all was good and they sent her home on Sunday but she was only out for a day. Mom just updated me that she is back home now so hopefully all is well. If you can, send positive, healthy vibes to Grants Pass OR.

So now I am about 2 hours away from heading off to China. My phone will be gone at that time. I was hoping to keep my account on hold but that isn't possible. No more Seattle number. I will try to figure out some way to call while I am China but let's not kid ourselves...if we weren't willing to use free nationwide long distance to stay in touch up until now, will we really go to all the effort of making an international call? I think not. No hard feelings. I am guessing I will have email and internet access, communist rule and running electricity willing, so I plan on that being my main method of contact.

Other than that, try not to miss me too much and I will promise you the same.